How Much Daily Practice Time is Required for Learning How to Play Guitar?
When learning how to play guitar, it’s VITAL that you spend time practicing every day. You will only get better through daily practice of your notes, chords, scales, picking, and strumming.
But how much time is necessary for practice? Should you approach your guitar playing like a professional–setting aside 3 to 6 hours of guitar practice per day? Or should you be more casual about your playing–just practicing 30 to 90 minutes daily?
Nathan Milstein, the world-famous violinist, once asked his teacher, the great Leopold Auer, that same question. His teacher’s answer was fascinating: “Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours.” Simply put: the time doesn’t matter as much as your focus and concentration.
Jascha Heifetz, the Russian violinist widely accepted as one of the finest players of all time, set aside one day each week where he DID NOT touch his instrument. He believed that “too much” practice was just as bad as not enough.
Check out this cool lesson on HOW TO PRACTICE GUITAR
The key to effective practice isn’t putting in the hours, but it’s about making progress. Being mindful and focusing on your practice will enable you to learn much more than you would just by practicing for hours on end.
Set aside a certain amount of time per day–be it 30, 60, or 90 minutes–to practice your guitar. Play slowly, being deliberate with each note, chord, and scale. Repeat the important elements (scales and strums) over and over until you have them down pat, but don’t play them mindlessly. Focus on improving your skill and speed.
When you think you have mastered a certain scale, chord, or sequence, play it to a metronome. Adjust the speed and rhythm accordingly, and master that timing. Once you feel you can play it properly, record it so you can hear how it sounds. THAT is when you will find the mistakes that need correcting.
Set aside time to practice every day (at least 30 minutes), but don’t approach it with the mentality of “I just need to get through this so I can get on with my day.” Instead, see it as time to make progress in your guitar skills, and fill your time with as much mindful practice as possible.
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